It’s a cliché — it’s bottom of the ninth and the bases are loaded. Everything depends on one swing. That’s how crucial the right hardware decision can be: adding this one final element to a project can often elevate it to the big leagues or send it down to the minors.

Routine maintenance is a pain. The very nature of it means that we have to stop what we’re doing and perform chores. It’s like having to pull over and buy gas when you’re already late for a Bruce Springsteen concert.

When Custom Woodwork Inc. in Richmond, Va., reaches its 50-year mark in March 2015, everyone will stop to celebrate — but not for long. As usual, there’ll be work to do — drawings to review, bids to make, cabinets to build.